This much? This much
by Goliath
Summary: A girl from the twins' past shows up after several years in a coma and reminds them that family is what you make of it.
1. Chapter 1

**THIS MUCH?...THIS MUCH**

**by Goliath**

Angela looked at the two small boys on the couch and smiled. It had just turned 8:00 and was now officially their bedtime. The three had been watching christmas specials and the one the four year old boys had begged her to let them stay up for was just starting. Since she was a sucker for the twins, she caved. That had happened an hour ago and both boys were now fast asleep on either side of her on the couch. She carefully stood up and picked Zack up first because she knew he would be the easiest. In fact when she scooped him into her arms, his only response was to tangle his small fingers in her long blonde hair. She laid him down on his bed and extracted her hair from his grasp.

"Love you, Sweet Pea." she whispered as she kissed him on the forehead and pulled the covers over him. Then she returned downstairs and as carefully as she could, picked up Cody. The boy groaned softly and opened his bright green eyes. Angela knew that unlike his twin brother, she wouldn't be able to get the more perceptive Cody upstairs without him waking but she figured it was worth a shot.

"Shhh. It's ok, Sweet Pea. It's bedtime." Cody looked into Angela's bright blue eyes, blinked, nodded and laid his head on Angela's shoulder as she climbed the stairs to the room he shared with Zack. When she got him into bed she smiled warmly at him.

"Love you, Sweet Pea." she said quietly to him so she wouldn't wake up Zack who was sleeping in the bed next to Cody's. Angela called both the boys 'Sweet Pea' because she said they were like two peas in a pod.

"This much?" he whispered with a grin, stretching his arms wide.

"This much." Angela replied copying the little boy then hugging him close and kissing him on the cheek as he wrapped his arms around her neck. Cody then settled back onto his bed as Angela pulled the covers over him. She gently stroked his cheek with her fingerstips as she rose, then turned out the light, and left the room.

- - -

13 year old Cody Martin woke up from the wonderful dream he had been having to the sound of the alarm clock in the room that he shared with his twin brother Zack. He slammed a fist down on it with more force than was necessary causing a loud bang. He looked guiltily at his brother but found that Zack hadn't even flinched. Shaking his head, he ran his fingers through his long blonde hair. As he got up he didn't know whether to smile or cry at the dream he just had. He comprimised, smiling but with a tear running down his cheek. A day did not go by that Cody didn't think of Angela McMahon. Of course, it was hard to forget her when you saw her every time you wanted candy. It had only been a couple of months since he had last actually seen Angela since he, along with his mom and Zack went to visit her every summer since they had moved from New York to Boston but it had been nearly 10 years since he could truly enjoy spending time with her. Not since her "dad" had done IT. Cody couldn't believe anyone, let alone a father, could be so cruel as to beat his only child into a coma. After cleaning up and finding clothes, he made his way downstairs to begin his day in the usual manner.


	2. Brown, Not Blue

**Chapter 2. Brown, not Blue**

Rubbing the last remnants of sleep out of his eyes, Cody exited the elevator and made his way over to the candy counter where Maddie was just finishing setting up the displays before she removed the "closed" sign. Cody sighed before he walked up to the counter.

"Hi Maddie." he said pretending to yawn to cover his sadness.

"Hi Cody." she replied favoring him with a warm grin which turned into a look of concern when she looked at him up close for the first time. "You ok?"

"Yeah," Cody replied forcing a tired smile, "just didn't sleep too well. Can I get a chocolate bar?"

"Sure." she said handing him the bar then waving her hand as he reached into his pocket. "it's ok, Cody I've got it."

"Thanks." he said and started to eat. As he was eating, Cody looked up at Maddie and was shocked to see her looking at him with bright blue eyes. His chocolate bar hung from his mouth as his eyes widened in surprise. Maddie cocked her head to one side seeing the look on the boy's face.

"Are you sure you're ok, Cody?" she asked reaching over the counter and placing a hand on his forehead. Cody shook his head to clear it and looked back at Maddie's face. The blue eyes had changed to the brown ones that he had become used to. Again he sighed.

"Yeah I'm ok." he said. Of course Maddie didn't believe that for a second but she knew that Cody would open up in due time. She just had to be patient.

"Ok, but if there's anything bothering you, you know you can always talk to me, right?"

"I know" Cody said offering her his first real smile of the day. "Thanks, Maddie."

"No problem." she said lightly ruffling his hair "By the way, where's your evil half?" Cody chuckled slightly at that.

"He's still asleep." Maddie looked up at the ceiling and mouthed 'Thank you' silently which got another chuckle out of Cody. This time the smile actually stayed on his face, which was of course exactly what she had intended. Cody checked his watch and finished the rest of the chocolate in one big gulp.

"Guess I should go check on my 'evil half'." he said with a sideways grin. He waved goodbye to Maddie and headed back to the elevator. Maddie watched him go with a smile. She adored both boys as little brothers and was flattered to be Zack's first real crush but if she were to be truly honest about it, Cody was her favorite. Zack could be extremely sweet and attentive when he wanted to but Cody just naturally was. She sometimes even wished that it was Cody with the crush on her but then she would shake herself remembering what he had gone through when he had met that beauty pagent contestant. Besides, he seemed perfectly content having a "big sister". She was still chuckling at the memory of Cody in a dress and heels when she noticed that she had a customer.

"Sorry, lost in thought, may I help..." she froze unable to finish her sentence. There she stood face to face with, as near as she could tell, herself. The girl that stood in front of her counter had all the same looks, she was even the same height and weight as Maddie. The only difference Maddie could see was her eyes which were a bright blue like what Zack and Cody's eyes were when they became angry.

The other girl seemed initially as surprised as Maddie was then her expression softened into a smile.

"You must be Maddie." she said. "The boys talked about you all the time when they visited me." seeing this only confused Maddie more she extended her hand "Sorry, I'm Angela McMahon. I'm looking for Zack, Cody and Carey Martin." Maddie shook the girl's hand but still seemed confused. None of the Martin family had ever mentioned the young woman before. As she was pondering this Zack came off the elevator and strolled up to the counter.

"Hey Maddie could I have a kiss for breakfast." Zack said with a hopeful grin. Maddie was broken out of her suprise and a devilish smile spread across her face.

"Suuuuuuure." she replied. Zack got excited until Maddie reached under the counter and pulled out a small candy wrapped in foil. He cocked his head quizzically.

"What's this?" he asked.

"You said you wanted a kiss." Zack face fell for an instant but then he shrugged, unwrapped the candy and popped it into his mouth.

"Hi, Sweet Pea." the woman standing beside him said with a chuckle. Zack froze. The voice sounded very much like Maddie's but she was right in front of him. Plus, he only knew one person who had ever called him that. With wide eyes he turned and looked at her for the first time. He saw Maddie's face with bright blue eyes. Zack felt like his brain exploded. He knew that face because he saw it every time he shut his eyes. The last time he had seen it, the young woman was lying in a coma in a hospital bed.

"Angela." he whispered in wonder. Angela smiled at him and held her arms open. Zack recovered his senses and threw himself into Angela's arms. Angela scooped him off the ground and held the boy close. Zack got the kiss he was looking for after all but in a way he could never have imagined.


	3. Blue, Not Brown

**Chapter 3: Blue Not Brown**

Cody reentered his family's suite to find his mother making bacon and eggs.

"Hi, Mom, is Zack up yet?" he asked.

"You just missed him." Carey replied. "He went downstairs just a few minutes ago." Cody shrugged and began setting the table for the three of them when the phone rang and Carey answered it.

"Hello. Yes this is Carey Martin. Oh my God. When did you..." Carey's eyes widened in shock. She collapsed into the chair behind her. "We'll be right there." she said and cut the connection. Jumping to her feet she turned to Cody. "We've got to go downstairs."

"What's going on?" Cody asked concerned.

"I don't think you'd believe me if I told you. I'm not even sure I can believe it." Carey replied as she opened the door. Cody shrugged and followed his mother to the elevator.

- - -

Ever since she had set him down on his feet, Zack kept his arms wrapped around Angela's waist as if afraid she would disappear if he let go. As the two women chatted, with Angela regaling Maddie with tales from the twins' early childhood which had quickly brought a blush on Zack's face, Zack let his mind wander back through the years.

**FLASHBACK**

Five year old Zack and Cody were playing in the backyard under their mother's watchful eye when the phone rang. As they continued to build a sand fort, the heard the clang of pots and pans in the kitchen. They quickly ran into the kitchen to find Carey sitting on the floor with the phone laying beside her. There were tears in her eyes. Cody and Zack exchanged frightened glances.

"Mommy," Cody said quietly, "what's wrong?"

Carey looked up at her twin sons.

"Mommy." Zack repeated. There were now tears rolling down the boy's faces as well. The boys had rarely seen their mother cry and knew from bitter experience that the reason was always bad. Carey held her arms open to her twins who went over to her and snuggled down next to her on either side.

After she composed herself she kissed the boys' foreheads and took a deep breath.

"Boys, something bad has happened to Angela." Cody let out a small whimper. Zack looked scared but was managing to stay strong for his little brother.

"What mommy?" he asked.

"She got hurt...Bad." Carey said as tears once again threatened to fall. "She's in the hospital." the boys both knew the hospital was were people went to get better so if Angela was hurt that was the place for her. Still they knew the one thing that would fix the hurt better than any hospital.

"We should go." little Zack said, "We can kiss it and make it all better." It seemed logical to the boy. After all it had always worked when his mom or Angela had done it for them.

"I don't think that's a good idea sweetie." Carey said. Cody broke into large sobs and buried his face in Carey's neck. "I want my sister!" he cried. Carey tried to console him but she couldn't calm him down. Soon, Zack had given up on being strong and joined his brother in sobbing uncontrollably and begging to see Angela. Finally with a sigh she scooped both boys up and headed out to the car. Carey pulled into the hospital parking lot and walked with her two boys to the information desk where a woman looked up at her and asked.

"May I help you?"

"Angela McMahon. I was told she was admitted last night."

"Are you Carey Martin?" the woman asked.

"Yes." Carey said in surprise.

"Bill." the lady called out. A young man walked over to the desk, "This is Angela McMahon's guardian. Could you take her to intensive care please?"

"Sure." Bill said offering Carey a sympathetic smile. He walked them to where intensive care was and directed them to Angela's bed. He knew that the boys were too young to be in there but seeing that Carey was by herself and not having anyway to watch the boys he allowed them in too. Zack and Cody descended from Carey's arms and walked up to the bed where Angela was sleeping. They saw tubes running out of her body from her chest and she had a mask covering her mouth and nose.

**END FLASHBACK**

Zack felt himself shudder as he remembered that day. The events were still so clear in his mind that it seemed like only yesterday. Angela felt him tremble and looked down at him with concern.

"Are you ok, Zack?" she asked brushing her fingers through his long bangs. Zack smiled at her.

"I am now." he replied. Angela smiled down warmly at him when they heard the elevator open and Cody flew out. Zack reluctantly let go of her waist and took a step back as Angela turned around and caught Cody out of the air as he had leaped into her arms. Carey stepped off the elevator and just stared in shock. Placing Cody back on his feet, Angela turned to Carey and held out her arms.

"Hi, Mom." she said. Carey broke into a run and threw her arms around the young woman who returned her strong embrace. Both women had tears flowing down their faces. Zack and Cody slipped themselves into the hug as well. Maddie stood watching the scene with a smile but dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.

**A/N I'm not the kind of author who believes in writing for reviews. I believe in writing if you feel inspired to tell a story. That said, your opinions on how this is going would be most welcome. See ya.**


	4. Bonding and Rebonding

**Chapter 4: Bonding and Rebonding**

After introducing her to many of the staff and going to lunch at a small cafe near the hotel, the Martin family took Angela up to their suite. She looked around in astonishment.

"This is amazing." Carey certainly agreed with that statement. For nearly ten years the only way that she had seen Angela was lying in a hospital bed with tubes running from her body every which way. Now that same girl who had taken care of her sons and become like a sister to them, and daughter to her, was standing there in their home gawking at the opulent furnishings. She had questions a plenty but asked the one that was burning in her the most.

"Why didn't we find out that you were awake? I was your guardian, they should have notified me the moment it happened." Angela looked at her in confusion.

"They said that they left a message with you." she replied with a shrug "maybe you just didn't get it. I had proven that I wasn't brain damaged or anything and since I was an adult they said I could go. Anyway, when I was released I remembered you telling me you were moving to Boston and here I am." Carey couldn't believe it. The message she had been waiting so long for just got lost in the shuffle! She would have an extensive talk with Moseby about this. She sighed.

"I am just so glad you are here." Carey said wrapping an arm around her.

"Please don't start us crying again." Angela said with a smile, resting her head on Carey's shoulder. Zack and Cody stole Angela away from their mother and she followed them to the room they shared and looked around. She had to laugh when she saw how it was almost perfectly divided with Cody's side neat and tidy and Zack's side looking like a tornado had gone through it. Then they sat on the beds as the boys told her all the adventures they had gone through at the Tipton while Carey excused herself because she had to go to work. After many hours of catching up and a late Mac and Cheese supper, the boys were yawning. Angela checked her watch which said 11:30.

"I need to get some sleep too. I've had the busiest day of all. Night guys." she got up from Cody's bed and turned to go to Carey's room where she was told she would stay when, with a grin, she turned around. "Love you."

Zack and Cody gave each other a knowing look, got up, and opened their arms wide.

"This much?" Cody asked. Angela's grin got even wider because she was so happy they remembered.

"This much." she said copying them. The twins stepped forward into Angela's arms and wrapped themselves around her waist. She pulled them to her chest and kissed them on their foreheads. Then she let them go to get ready for bed. When Carey arrived at 2:00AM, she poked her head in to the boys' room to find them both sound asleep with a smile she quietly shut their door and went to the other bedroom and carefully opened it as well. She looked at the miracle sleeping in her own bed and for what seemed like the millionth time, took a tissue from her purse and dabbed at her eyes. Then she went back into the living room area, settled herself on the couch, and fell into a deep sleep.

**- - -**

On Monday Zack and Cody, with much reluctance, had gone to school. Maddie's school was going through parent teacher conferences and therefore didn't have any classes so she had chosen to work for a little extra cash instead. Unfortunately Moseby had told her that the counter was already covered and he really didn't have any work for her that day. She really didn't feel like going back to the zoo next to Fenway Park that was her home so she decided to just hang out at the hotel instead. Maddie was soon regretting her decision since London was gone on a trip and the rest of the staff was making preparations for some dignitary or other to stay at the hotel so there was no one to talk to. She was sitting on the couch in the lobby reading a magazine when she sensed someone standing next to her. She looked up to find it was Angela.

"Hi, Angela." Maddie said brightly grateful for any distraction from her boredom.

"Hi, Maddie. What are you up to?" Angela asked returning a nearly identical grin. Maddie face fell a bit.

"Well, I was going to work a little today but the counter is already covered."

"Good." Angela said getting a surprised look from Maddie. "cause I was hoping we could go out and talk."

"Really?"

Angela sat down and her expression became a little sad. "I've missed out on so much of the boys' lives, and I know that you have been like a big sister to them. I just would really like to get to know who they become and I think that you're the one to help me do that." Maddie was touched. She looked into Angela's hopeful eyes and smiled.

"I'd love to." Maddie said warmly as she took Angela's hand. Rising the two young women walked out the door and hailed a cab. They did talk about the boys and a host of other subjects as they shopped in the store surrounding the Tipton. Finally they settled down at an outdoor cafe and Maddie was filling Angela in on the things the boys had forgotten last night.

"..and then there was Cody wearing a dress." Maddie said with a laugh. "At least he did get a kiss from her when she left." Angela snickered at the idea of Cody in a dress.

"That really doesn't surprise me. Cody was always quick to warm up to people. When I first visited the Martins the boys were already creeping around. Zack would stay back and hide a little while Cody basically climbed into my lap in like the first 30 seconds I was there." Maddie was surprised to hear this. As long as she had known the boys Cody had always been the shy one, while Zack was "the player". As they chatted, Maddie was surprised to find how easy it was talking to Angela. Even though the woman was nine years older, it felt to Maddie like talking to her own twin. Of course the physical resemblance did help with that. Angela looked at her watch.

"Whoops. I'd better get back before the boys send out the Marines for me." Angela stood up quickly and her vision swam for the briefest moment. She grabbed the table for support. Maddie was beside her in an instant to help support her.

"Are you, ok?" her voice filled with deep concern. Angela offered her teen twin a grateful smile.

"Yeah, must still have a little jet lag. Besides, we were up pretty late last night talking." Angela blinked a couple of times to get her vision straight. Maddie kept her hand on Angela's arm to steady her as she hailed a cab. By the time the had returned to the Tipton, Angela seemed to have fully recovered from the episode. When they entered to hotel they were greeted by Zack and Cody.

"So," Zack said "what have you two been talking about."

"You two." Angela replied with a grin putting her arms around the boys. They bid goodbye to Maddie and walked to the elevator. Once they were on Maddie let the smile she was wearing to fade into a concerned frown.

**A/N So I've left you with a bit of a cliffhanger. All will become clear as soon as I can think of the next chapter. Thanks for the reviews. I'm glad you like it.**

**To Nixy Angel: Angela is not the twins' sister. She was their babysitter when they were very young and they bonded to her as if she was their sister. Much like they bonded to Maddie now. **


	5. Breakdowns

**CHAPTER 5: Breakdowns**

Over the next couple of weeks life at the Tipton had settled back to a normal routine. Angela would normally hang around either the boys or Maddie when school was not in session. When it was, she and Carey usually took care of whatever needed to be taken care of either in the suite or Carey's act. Angela had been very musically talented as a teenager and with practice on Zack's guitair she regained enough of her skills that allowed her to accompany Carey some nights. She would never sing though and that suprised both Carey and the boys because they all knew that Angela had an amazing singing voice. Carey even felt that Angela was a better singer than herself but as usual the younger woman was content to stay in the background and let someone else be the center of attention. There was the one time that she had convinced Maddie, who she found out was an excellent singer, to join her in a duet. After they were done the crowd, which normally responded with polite applause, cheered loudly for the two.

"That was awesome!" Zack said enthusiastically with Cody nodding agreement.

"You two might put me out of a job." Carey joked. Both of them blushed. After a quick meal, Carey went back on stage to finish off the night and the others headed back to the Martins' suite. As they walked by the front door, Angela froze with a look of horror on her face. The others gathered around her and asked her what was wrong.

"It's him." she said in a horrified whisper causing the rest of the group to look toward the door. A large man walked in dressed in an expensive suite with his dark hair slicked back and bright blue eyes. They judged him to be about 50 or so.

"Who?" Maddie asked wrapping her arm around Angela's shoulder. Zack and Cody also moved closer to her.

"My dad." Angela said with a shaky breath. The man walked by them and gave Angela a confused glance as he made his way to the front desk. Zack and Cody didn't remeber Angela's father very well because they had been so young.

"Ang," Zack said taking her face in his hands and directing her eyes to his. "it's ok, that's not him." Zack didn't know that for certain but wanted to calm the young woman down. Angela didn't seem to hear. She stared into his eyes and just trembled as tears ran down her face.

"Please don't let him get me." she sounded like a frightened child. Maddie directed Angela towards the elevator and they all headed back to the family's suite. Zack slipped the keycard in and opened the door. As Maddie guided Angela to the couch Cody went to the sink to get her a drink while Maddie and Zack sat down on either side of the frightened young woman. Angela finally buried her face in her hands and sobbed loudly.

"I'm sorry. I thought that was him and I just go so scared. I just don't want him to hurt any of you." She continued rambling for a few minutes as Zack and Maddie tried their best to calm and comfort her. Cody set the glass down on the table in front of the couch and knelt down in front of her. He exchanged concerned looks with Zack and Maddie then looked up at Angela who was hugging her knees to her chest. This was not the girl he had remembered when he was little. Angela had been one of the strongest, bravest people he ever knew. To see her like this made him ache inside.

Eventually, Angela calmed down, Maddie went home, and everyone went to bed. After several hours of tossing and turning Angela gave up on sleep and quietly made her way to the living area of the suite to watch television. She had just settled into a program she liked when she heard someone approaching from the boys' room. Cody dressed in pajamas and a robe came out rubbing his eyes sleepily. Angela gave the boy a grin.

"I didn't wake you up with the TV did I sweetie?"

"No, I just couldn't sleep."

"C'mere." she said reaching for him. Cody sat down beside Angela and snuggled his head on to her chest as she laid back against the cushions and kissed him on top of the head. Her strong, steady heartbeat lulled him toward sleep.

After a couple of hours Cody's eyes snapped open in alarm. He really didn't know why he had been awoken. He looked up at Angela's face. She appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Cody glanced around to see if anything was out of place in the suite but couldn't find anything. Finally he gave up and rested his head back onto Angela's chest and closed his eyes. Just before he was about to drift off again, his eyes once more snapped.open. This time he knew what had startled him. He kept his ear over Angela's heart and listened intently

**THUMP-THUMP...THUMP-THUMP...THUMP-THUMP...thump...THUMP-THUMP**

Cody's eyes went wide. Her heart had just skipped a beat. After about 20 minutes, it skipped again, this time causing Angela to inhale sharply before the beat continued. From that point on, Cody had a very fitful sleep. Every so often he would start awake, listen to Angela's heartbeat and fall back to sleep.

**A/N Sorry if this took a little too long. I was having trouble deciding on what came next. Thanks to everyone who has enjoyed the story so far.**


	6. Take Care Of Them

**CHAPTER 6: TAKE CARE OF THEM**

The next day, Cody had surprised everyone by emphatically not wanting to go to school. It took a long time for him to be coaxed downstairs to wait at the front door while Carey and Zack got their car. Angela stayed with Cody, standing behind him with her arms wrapped around him.

"Why didn't you want to go to school today, Sweet Pea?"

"Because I didn't want to come back and find out something had happened to you." Angela looked down at him with a question in her eyes. Cody explained how he had noticed her heart skipping beats the night before. Angela let out a long sigh.

"I should have warned you about that I guess. It does that when I get really upset like last night but it isn't dangerous." She put her hand under Cody's chin and turned his face toward hers.

"I'm not going anywhere." she said.

"Promise?" Cody asked.

"Promise." Angela replied as Carey and Zack pulled up to the curb. She kissed Cody on the forehead and watched as he got into the car and it drove away. With another sigh she went back inside the Tipton and back upstairs to the family's suite. After an hour, Carey returned.

"Did you find out what was wrong with Cody?" she asked.

"Yeah. He found out one of the more annoying facets of my life." Angela explained the occasional arythmia brought on by stress. Carey looked at her in shock.

"Is it serious?" she asked

"Nah," Angela replied brushing it off casually. "just one of the side effects of being on the wrong end of a nine iron." Carey visibly started at that description.

**- - -**

Cody was finally able to settle in at school after a fairly shaky start. Twice in Algebra, the teacher had tapped on his desk with her pointer to get his attention. He finally decided that everything would be all right and by the end of the day was back to true form. After Chess Club, he was waiting outside whistling when he was grabbed and shoved hard against the wall. His attacker was wearing a parochial school uniform from the same school as Maddie's.

"I'm only going to tell you this once punk!" the older boy snarled, "Stay away from my girlfriend!" Cody looked at the boy in terror. He was just about to respond that he didn't even know who his girlfriend was when an angry, familiar voice made them both freeze.

"Put...my...little...brother...DOWN!" both boys looked around to see Maddie standing there in her work uniform glaring at the older boy.

"Maddie." he said with a plastered on smile.

"Don't even think about sweet-talking your way out of this, Jerry. You don't impress girls by picking on their little brothers. Now let him go." Jerry did so and raised his hands in surrender. Cody ran around the bully and put his arms around Maddie's waist as she pulled him close. With one final glare Maddie turned and guided Cody toward the street.

"Your mom said that she and Angela were running behind so I told her that I would walk with you back to the hotel." Maddie told him. Cody nodded his head silently. He was still shaken from what had just happened.

"Hey," she said leaning down so that she and Cody were at eye level. Cody was trembling and had tears forming in his eyes, "you're ok, Cody. I won't let anything happen to you." Maddie brushed the tears that had escaped with her fingertips. Cody was quickly soothed and finally gave Maddie a grateful smile which she returned before standing back up and hailing a cab. After they finally got to the Tipton, Cody quickly hugged Angela who was standing by the candy counter.

"Hi, Sweet Pea," she said giving Cody a kiss on top of the head. "how was school?"

"Ok for the most part." he answered. After he went upstairs Maddie told Angela about the excitement of the afternoon.

"See," Angela said, "I knew you were cut out for this 'big sister' routine."

"Well, I have already had some practice." Maddie replied. They both grinned at each other. Angela bought a candy bar and walked over to where Estaban was standing. Maddie was just about to set up the counter for the rest of the day when she heard a loud click behind her.

"Now I'll finish this." a rough voice said behind her. She turned to see the man from the other night and in his hand was a gun which he pointed right at her. Maddie felt something slam into her, flinging her behind the counter just before she heard a loud bang. As the security people of the hotel had descended on the gunman, she turned in horror to look at her own face grimacing in pain. She scrambled over to Angela as the woman rolled on to her back and laid her head in Maddie's lap. The middle of her blouse was stained red.

"CALL 911!" Maddie screamed. Angela merely shook her head sadly.

"They won't make it." she said gasping.

"No." Maddie whispered, tears streaming down her face. "Don't give up Ang. The boys need you." Maddie was determine to say anything to keep her friend alive.

"Tell them I love them and I'm sorry." Angela's voice became distant and she closed her eyes. Then they snapped open and focused on Maddie's face. Angela grabbed something around her neck and pulled it off.

"They're the only thing I can give you." she said placing the object in Maddie's hand. "Promise you'll take good care of them." Angela grimaced again as she had moved herself to look directly into Maddie's eyes. Tears flowed from Maddie's face falling on to Angela's.

"I promise." Maddie whimpered. Angela smiled weakly as the light left her eyes. They closed again and this time, didn't open.

**- - -**

The funeral had been a small affair with the Martins and Maddie sitting in front. The only other people who attended were various staff of the hotel who had come to know Angela. At the gravesite Maddie stood behind Cody with her arms folded around him while Carey stood behind Zack in a similar pose. A hastily made will specified that the cemetary that she was to be at would be as close to the Tipton as possible. She left all her worldly possesions to Carey, with the exception of the gold shaped pendant which hung on a matching chain around Maddie's neck. After the funeral they returned to the hotel and changed out of their formal wear. Maddie told her parents that she was going to stay with the Martins for an indefinite period of time, promising that she would get to school on time. The rest of the day was spent in silence as they all gathered together on the couch to remember their loved one. Late that night Zack, Maddie and Carey went to bed leaving Cody the only one still awake. He had gone through so many crying spells that he didn't think he had tears left in him. This left him with a blank look on his face as he walked out the door of the suite.

**EPILOUGE**

The next day, everyone at the hotel was frantically searching for Cody who had apparently disappeared last night. Carey had called to talk to the police and Mr. Moseby had assembled the staff to have them search the hotel. Maddie stood at the candy counter praying that he would come home soon and toying with the heart shaped pendant around her neck. She had looked at it more closely after the funeral. On the surface of the heart were two words written in fancy script.

"Big Sister"

Inside there was a picture of Angela and the boys when they were very small and Angela was Maddie's age. She kept toying with the heart as if the spirit of her friend would help her locate Cody. A voice which sounded almost, but not quite, like her own whispered in her brain.

"The cemetary." her face registered shock as she quickly threw the "ON BREAK" sign on the counter and ran out the door without saying a word to anyone. She hailed a cab and told him "Hilltop Cemetary". A few feet from the front gate, Maddie had the driver stop, paid him, and entered the cemetary. Her heart beat quickly as she made her way to Angela's grave. There she saw Cody's small form curled up in a ball at the foot of the grave. She let out the breath she had not even realized she had been holding in a gasp. Quietly, she knelt down beside Cody and gently shook him awake.

"Maddie..." he said in a dazed voice.

"Come on, Cody, let's go home." Maddie said softly to him. She help him to his feet and as he turned away she breathed a silent 'thank you' toward the grave. During the cab ride to the hotel, Cody rested his head on Maddie's shoulder and fell back to sleep. When they got there. Maddie carefully picked him up and carried through the hotel to his room.

"I'm sorry I scared everyone." Cody said quietly as Maddie tucked him into his bed.

"It's ok." Maddie replied sitting down on the edge of his bed.

"Thanks for everything Maddie. I love you." he said sleepily. Maddie grinned at the boy fondly.

"This much?" she asked opening her arms wide." Cody grinned back at her.

"This much." he replied copying her than giving and getting a tight hug.

**A/N Well, that's it. Tell me what you thought. See ya.**


End file.
